Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Soul Sword (3)
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Raymond had lit the fuse for those who had endured the pressure from the Haipel Empire and the Three Kingdoms Alliance solely because their national power had waned.
"I shall dispatch the 1st Prince to the border with the Haipel Empire and the 5th Prince to the border with the Free Isiriya Kingdom, making it clear to both nations that our empire remains strong."
Emperor Ronald declared. Unlike the 1st Prince, who had reached the level of an advanced knight capable of wielding a mana sword with the backing of the military, the 5th Prince was still insufficient to protect himself. The emperor had no desire to send him to such a dangerous border, but the situation left him no choice.
The emperor cherished the 5th Prince, but above all, he prioritized the prosperity of the empire and the imperial family.
The 2nd and 3rd Princes, knowing the emperor's temperament well, had manipulated the nobles to sway public opinion.
By now, those two princes were likely thrilled that things were proceeding according to plan, blissfully unaware that this entire affair was Raymond's scheme to temporarily leave the Imperial Capital in search of the Soul Sword.
"One hundred Imperial Guards will accompany each prince."
As he finished speaking, the emperor's gaze toward the 1st and 5th Princes carried a desperate wish that his sons would return alive.
One hundred Imperial Guards. It was not an insignificant number, but considering the journey to the border, it could hardly be called substantial.
The emperor wished he could assign more, but the empire's circumstances were dire. Moreover, sending a large contingent of Imperial Guards to the border risked escalating a localized conflict into full-scale war.
Unlike the military officials, the emperor and certain nobles sought to avoid any large-scale war beyond a skirmish.
"Additionally, I permit the mobilization of fifty private soldiers, including your personal guards."
This allowed for private soldiers beyond those for escort purposes, but even here, he could not approve large numbers.
All he could hope was that the factions backing the princes would provide their elites.
'Where has the glory of the past gone?'
The emperor sighed inwardly. The majesty that once commanded the ancient world was nowhere to be found, reduced now to peering nervously at other nations.
As emperor in this era, his failure to revive the crumbling empire left him ashamed before his ancestors.
"Your Majesty, I shall surely complete the mission and return."
Though unspoken, it implied returning with the vanguard banner.
"I can't lose to my little brother, now can I? I'll bring back the banner of the Rangers at least."
The 1st Prince, Serak, said with a cheerful laugh. Military officials raised their clenched fists in approval.
With that, the border expeditions of the 1st and 5th Princes were decided.
Behind the 1st Prince, Serak, would follow not only the Imperial Guards and Imperial Army but also elite knights from the military.
The 5th Prince, Raymond, would travel with promising mages from the Crimson and Azure Towers, along with outstanding tower knights.
'Around the midpoint of volume one, huh...'
Ignoring the 1st Prince's gaze brushing his cheek, Raymond let a faint smile play on his lips.
Months had passed since entering this wastrel prince's body, and now an event that had barely been mentioned in the novel—existing only in the settings—was about to unfold.
But he felt no anxiety.
'Because I'll definitely win.'
Ahead of extra Raymond lay events scarcely described in the novel, but knowing the settings was a greater advantage than one might think.
He was confident he could overcome any hardship with ease.
'The Free Isiriya Kingdom is no different.'
In the novel he had read, there was a scene where the protagonist crushed the kingdom's elite heavy assault unit.
Stealing their vanguard banner? That was nothing. He was confident he could annihilate an entire heavy assault unit.
The thought of the nobles' reactions when he returned having massacred them and claimed the banner already excited him.
We always stand at the vanguard. Like sharp spears, we strike the kingdom's enemies first.
We do not retreat. To the very last man, we stand as the kingdom's steadfast shield, enduring like mighty mountain ranges.
That was the oath sworn to the founding king of the Free Isiriya Kingdom by its twenty-one heavy assault units upon their creation.
The first king, moved by their vow, crafted twenty-one vanguard banners and bestowed them upon the commanders of each unit.
And to this day, those banners have been passed down through generations to the heavy assault units.
True to their oath to the founding king, whenever war broke out, they stood at the forefront against the enemy and held the field to the bitter end. Their symbol is the 'vanguard banner.'
"His Highness intends to seize something like that?"
In the carriage returning to the 5th Prince's Palace after the court council, the Azure Tower Lord said with a stern face.
The 5th Prince was undoubtedly a talented mage who always astonished everyone, but taking a vanguard banner from the Free Isiriya Kingdom's heavy assault unit seemed impossible.
"Old man, aren't you being too fearful? The heavy assault units aren't ghosts or demons... There must be a way to crush them."
And the setting documents detailed that method—quite thoroughly, at that. As mentioned before, that author was undoubtedly a settings fanatic.
"Your Highness, the 5th Prince, they have suffered defeats, but never once has a vanguard banner been taken. They value it more than their own lives or those of their commanders."
"There's always a first time for everything."
"Aigoo! Your Highness! Please, just listen to me!"
Despite the Azure Tower Lord's continued explanations of their fearsomeness, Raymond remained unmoved as a fortress.
In the end, Azure Tower Lord Risefield Dior could only let out a scream.
The Crimson Tower Lord beside him chuckled at the sight.
"What's so amusing to you, Crimson Tower Lord?"
"Isn't it amusing?"
"What is?"
To Risefield's question, Crimson Tower Lord Berenus Kyle's gaze turned to the 5th Prince before them.
"When His Highness the 5th Prince shows such confidence, isn't it a vassal's duty to trust and follow?"
"W-Well, that's true, but..."
"The Free Isiriya Kingdom's heavy assault unit losing its vanguard banner? And if we achieve it, wouldn't that be a glorious feat as servants of the Philius Empire?"
Risefield had no choice but to fall silent at Berenus's words. They were irrefutably correct.
A vassal must trust and follow their lord's will.
The Crimson Tower Lord, who had harbored many doubts upon first joining, now seemed more committed than Risefield, having evidently made up his mind.
In a way, it was a natural reaction. The moment the official declaration was made in the council chamber, they had burned all bridges with the 3rd Prince.
To survive, they had no choice but to side with the 5th Prince.
"Old man."
It was a calm voice that soothed the heart. Risefield turned to face him squarely. The 5th Prince, Raymond, met his eyes and offered a gentle smile.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Have I ever let you down?"
Let down? Never.
On the contrary, he had always been the one astonishing him. First with his mana talent. Then keeping his promise to reach junior mage level in a week.
And when he pierced the Shadow Veil of the Dark Emperor, Hidden Blade, forcing his retreat—that had been shocking.
None of the events since the wastrel's transformation had failed to amaze.
Risefield calmly gathered his thoughts and shook his head at Raymond's question.
"Never. Your Highness has always kept your promises and left me in awe."
A satisfying answer. The smile on Raymond's lips deepened.
"Then trust me and follow. Glorious light awaits us. I guarantee it."
"Haah, no helping it, then."
Risefield raised the white flag. Raymond exchanged glances with Berenus and grinned.
"I'll accompany you as well."
"Wasn't that a given? I thought you'd be guarding the Crimson Tower..."
Risefield was momentarily speechless when Berenus, whom he assumed would protect his tower, declared he would travel with the 5th Prince.
"Crimson Tower Lord, shouldn't you be minding your tower?"
"The elders will handle it. And guarding His Highness is a vassal's natural duty, don't you think?"
In truth, it was less about duty and more that it seemed fun, but Berenus couldn't say that outright before the 5th Prince, so he swallowed part of his words with a smile.
"Crimson Tower Lord."
"Yes, Your Highness."
When called in a quiet voice, Berenus slightly bowed his head in response.
"I assure you, you won't regret that decision."
Raymond lifted the corner of his mouth. The conversation paused briefly as the carriage arrived at the 5th Prince's Palace.
Now it was time to hasten preparations for the border with the Free Isiriya Kingdom.
News of the 1st and 5th Princes departing the Imperial Capital reached the Monster Forest and Black Mountains.
The border forces in the Monster Forest cheered at the news of the 1st Prince, backed by the military, but the Black Mountains border, assigned to the 5th Prince, responded with indifference.
The reaction in Marquis Crayer's territory, where the 5th Prince was to stay, was similarly lukewarm.
As a domain adjacent to the border, they had hoped for the 1st Prince, who had close ties to the military.
They did not welcome the sudden arrival of the 5th Prince, rife with rumors of incompetence and wastrelry.
There were tales of him repelling the Dark Emperor, Hidden Blade, and saving the emperor, but five years of tarnished reputation overshadowed that for welcoming his participation.
"My lord, His Highness the 5th Prince has crossed the territory's border. He should arrive at the central city within five days."
The aged family knight bowed respectfully and reported. Marquis Crayer was startled.
"He's already crossed the border?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Heh, that's far too quick..."
The distance from the capital housing the Imperial Palace to Marquis Crayer's border territory was considerable. Traveling with an army, they couldn't use expensive warp gates reserved for small groups.
"I thought it would take at least another week..."
"His Highness has reduced rest times."
Initially, the Imperial Army commander had frequently halted for rest, considerate of the 5th Prince's lack of marching experience. Even in a carriage, prolonged travel drained stamina significantly.
But the 5th Prince, Raymond—whom they assumed frail as a mage—neither rode in the carriage nor required rests.
'No need for special treatment. I'll ride horseback with the knights, and there's no need to extend rests. With the border in crisis, how can I afford leisure? Instead of extra rest for a prince, we must hasten to join the forces even one step sooner.'
It was like a declaration before the Imperial Army. That day, the commander shed all prejudices about the 5th Prince.
He had heard rumors of defeating the Dark Emperor at the banquet hall, but lingering doubts deep within had now melted away.
With royalty leading by example—eating, sleeping, and marching alongside the knights—the Imperial Army's morale soared, trust formed, and their pace quickened dramatically.
As a result, they crossed the territory border far sooner than Marquis Crayer had anticipated.
'Different from the rumors?'
The fleeting thought crossed his mind, but the marquis soon shook his head.
'Impossible. The Dark Emperor tale must be exaggerated.'
How many times had the 5th Prince, Raymond, hammered the emperor's chest? Marquis Crayer recalled the emperor's visage from his past five years of court attendances.
The emperor growing gaunt day by day. Yet never forgetting the once-brilliant 5th Prince. Never letting go until the end.
The marquis still remembered. Watching his sworn liege suffer was painful for any vassal.
"He'll arrive at the lord's castle soon. Gather the knights and prepare the welcome."
He had no desire to welcome him, but he was the emperor's son and imperial royalty.
Failing basic protocol could invite rumors, and more importantly, it would be improper.
"Understood."
The old knight in the corner bowed and exited the office.
Gazing at the firmly shut door, Marquis Crayer bit his lip slightly.
Entering the north, chilled air greeted them.
A thermal magic would have been nice, but this novel's author, a settings fanatic, omitted such fantasy clichés as insulation spells.
"Hoo!"
Raymond exhaled deeply and spurred his horse onward.
Fortunately, as royalty, he had been trained in horsemanship since childhood, allowing him to ride abreast with the Imperial Army.
The problem was his lacking stamina. How much had the wastrel drunk? Even after months of dual magic and physical training, this was his recovery.
Amid the forced march, he felt like collapsing multiple times a day but endured through willpower.
Couldn't be the one who declared the march first to falter, right? A man had his pride, after all.
"The marquis's lord castle isn't far now."
Alex rode up beside him to report. Welcome news. But someone welcomed it more than Raymond.
"I-Is that true?"
The Azure Tower Lord himself. He and the Crimson Tower Lord had been riding behind the 5th Prince.
With royalty forgoing the carriage, the tower lords couldn't take it easy either. The issue was their stamina matching typical mages.
By the journey's end, Raymond had endured daily groans from the Azure Tower Lord.
The more resilient Crimson Tower Lord fared slightly better, silently enduring, but even he couldn't hide his blooming smile at Alex's report.
"Imperial Army commander."
"Yes! Your Highness!"
The Imperial Army commander rode up. His chest bore the Imperial Army insignia and commander's badge.
"Does the marquisate know I'm coming?"
"Yes, we sent a messenger days ago."
"Then why, with the lord's castle right before us, have no troops come to greet us?"
Raymond spoke in a cold tone. The commander swallowed dryly.
Merely a late teen, yet he exuded a trace of a ruler's dignity.
"They'll come soon. We could halt briefly and await their escort."
Dispatching guides for entering nobles was basic etiquette. The delay smacked of a power play.
Noticing this, the commander cautiously suggested, but Raymond shook his head.
"Soldiers are dying at the border. We have no time to dawdle. Press on."
It sounded like sacrificing personal pride for the soldiers' lives.
The commander was deeply moved.
"And I doubt we'll need to anyway."
Raymond smirked. In the distance, the Crayer Marquisate's banner fluttered.